Instead of resenting No. 7 Nebraska for leaving the Big 12, maybe Kansas State should thank the Cornhuskers.

Who wants to keep playing a team that always beats you silly?

Quarterback Taylor Martinez rushed for 241 yards and four touchdowns and Nebraska ended a 99-year rivalry in the same lopsided fashion it began, thrashing the slower, outmanned Wildcats 48-13 on Thursday night.

Martinez, a redshirt freshman, pushed his five-game rushing total to 737 yards and also threw a 79-yard scoring pass for the Huskers (5-0), who head off for the Big Ten next year with an domineering overall record against Kansas State (4-1) of 78-15-2.

Unbeaten in their first four games and with senior running back Daniel Thomas averaging 157 yards per game, Kansas State fans had hoped to send the Huskers out the Big 12 door with a loss.

But the Wildcats were helpless against such offensive and defensive speed and the night belonged to Martinez. He broke the team record for rushing yards by a quarterback and tied the team mark for rushing TDs by a quarterback while Thomas was held to 63 yards on 22 carries.

“Pretty much everything we ran was clicking pretty good,” Martinez said. “I was making the right reads. I just do what I can do — make plays.”

Martinez rushing performance was the best ever by a Cornhusker QB but only the 8th best by any Nebraska player.

Kansas State until fairly recent had the worst record of any Division I school. So the lopsidedness of their series with Nebraska isn’t very surprising.

Former NFL linebacker Elijah Alexander has died after a nearly five-year battle with cancer. He was 39.

*****

Alexander was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, in 2005, four years after his career ended in Oakland.

The former Kansas State player spent nine seasons with four teams. After one year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992, Alexander spent three seasons each with the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. He made 29 starts in 30 games for the Raiders during the final two years of his career in 2000-01.

The 2008 NFL Draft also saw the same amount of under classmen. In 2009 the total was 46. From AP-

The expected heavy influx of non-seniors applying for this year’s NFL draft did not happen despite looming labor unrest in the league.

Although a record-tying 53 players declared for early entry, that number released Tuesday by the NFL was short of most projections.

“I think that the colleges have really done a good job of telling these young men how it is to their advantage to stay in school,” said NFL draft consultant Gil Brandt, who helped build the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. “I thought there would be more and I was surprised.”

Six All-Americans did apply for the draft: defensive backs Eric Berry of Tennessee and Joe Haden of Florida; defensive end Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech; tight end Aaron Hernandez of Florida; linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama; and wide receiver Golden Tate of Notre Dame.

Fresno State tailback Ryan Mathews, the nation’s leading rusher, applied. So did tackles Bryan Bulaga of Iowa and Anthony Davis of Rutgers, who are projected to go high in the draft.

I remember when Herschel Walker came out of school(U of Georgia) early and all the controversy it caused. A Herschel Walker today wouldn’t risk a potential big payday in the NFL either.

What I don’t get is how some experts expected the total of non-seniors to be around 100 or a 100% increase from last year. Maybe I’ll find an article that list the college players who stuck it out. A free college education should be valued. One day your sports playing days will end and what will you do for money then? Look at Bernie Kosar who left the University of Miami early for the NFL. Right now he is bankruptcy court.

The entire list of college underclassman declaring for this year’s NFL draft is below the fold.

Is another college coach in the state of Kansas about to lose his job for striking or abusing his players. From AP-

Kansas State’s Frank Martin is a fiery old-school screamer who expects his players to play with the same kind of passion he coaches with.

That passion got the better of Martin on Saturday — and he feels bad about it.

Caught up in the heat of a tight road game, Martin hit senior Chris Merriewether on the arm with the back of his hand late in a 74-68 loss to Missouri for Kansas State (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 11 AP). Martin wasted little time in apologizing, telling reporters he was wrong before taking questions during his postgame news conference.

“That’s a mistake on my part,” Martin said. “I’m an old-school guy, but I understand the times are real sensitive now. I love him. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s wrong on my part and is completely out of line and has no part in the game. I need to apologize for that.”

Martin’s swipe came during a timeout with 1:17 left after a turnover by Merriewether led to a foul at the other end.

Before Marcus Denmon hit one of two free throws to put Missouri up 66-63, Martin called timeout and gathered his team in front of the bench. He immediately started screaming at Merriewether and flicked the back of his hand at the senior, striking him on the arm with his fingers.

The crowd at Kansas State’s end of the floor reacted and Martin, realizing he had made a mistake, flipped his hand again, appearing as if he were trying to high-five Merriewether.

Martin sought out Merriewether in the locker room after the game and apologized for popping him.

The quick and immediate apology by Martin(He’s Cuban-American and was born in Florida) may just end up saving his job. I’m not an advocate of zero tolerance rules because so often they are really no brains rules.

No question, he is intense. Volatile, even. While Martin has proven he can coach, something many doubted, he must now prove he can control his temper. Currie may have accepted Martin’s apology, but the K-State AD surely can’t accept another such outburst.

No question, he is intense. Volatile, even. While Martin has proven he can coach, something many doubted, he must now prove he can control his temper. Currie may have accepted Martin’s apology, but the K-State AD surely can’t accept another such outburst.

At least Martin was quick to address his sideline indiscretion and appropriately confronted it head on. The matter was handled swiftly, and properly, especially based on Merriewether’s own reaction.

KSU should investigate and if Martin doesn’t have a history of previous incidents, let him off this time with a warning.

The Browns traded down allowing Mark Sanchez to be picked by the Jets. Then Cleveland trades down again.

ESPN writes- In terms of natural ability you couldn’t ask for anything more in a QB prospect. At 6-foot-6, Freeman is tall enough to scan the field from the pocket. He’s big enough at 248 pounds to bounce off would-be tacklers and is mobile enough to pick up yards with his feet when nothing’s available downfield. The concern we have is his ability to absorb an NFL offense and adjust to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses. There couldn’t be more of a red flag for a quarterback when it comes to film evaluation than that.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Sept. 19) – Kansas State running back Leon Patton was accused of shaking a 2-month-old boy and charged with child abuse. He was dismissed from the team Friday.

The 20-year-old junior was arrested and jailed Thursday on $30,000 bond for his actions July 15, police said.

Patton shook the baby “feloniously and intentionally,” according to the arrest warrant. Police spokesman Lt. Kurt Moldrup said the matter was reported to police when it happened, prompting an investigation. He would not provide information on the now-4-month-old boy’s whereabouts or condition.

Patton already had been suspended from the team after a July traffic stop led to the discovery of outstanding warrants from 2007, one for stealing two video games from a Wal-Mart. He also was cited for an unpaid parking ticket. After pleading no contest, Patton was sentenced to six months’ probation and fined $100.

Kansas State coach Ron Prince announced Patton’s dismissal from the team. The school said it would make no further comment because of the investigation.

Was there any relationship between Patton and the child?

Only idiots or sickos do what Patton is accused of. It is well documented the dangers of shaking such a young child If found guilty of child abuse, I hope this Patton gets to spend a long time in jail.